Private bus operators on strike, commuters inconvenienced

, Jan 6: Commuters were greatly inconvenienced on the first day of the week today due to a 24-hour bus

called by six unions of private bus operators, demanding immediate fare hike.

Private buses were almost off the roads in the city, except on some routes. Taxis were, however, plying. Though the government is running its fleet of buses and trams, all of them were overcrowded.

The only fare hike since Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government came to power was on November 1, 2012. The private bus operators including the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate and Bengal Bus Syndicate and some mini bus operators associations have called the strike demanding fare revision in view of the hike in the price of diesel.

West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra said the government was not considering the demand. "We are appealing to the unions to withdraw the strike. We will not allow any harassment of the commuters," he said adding additional state government buses were being run today.

Bus unions had called off a 48-hour strike in September last year a few hours after it started as the government did not pay heed to their demand to raise fares.

PTI